This year's Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics 2012 will be awarded to Dr. Thomas Elsässer from the Max Born Institute in Berlin and Dr. Horst Weller from the University of Hamburg for their pioneering achievements and the detailed understanding of elementary processes on the sub-nanoscale. The award, accompanied by US$ 5,000, will be presented on 20 June at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin during the Julius Springer Forum on Applied Physics 2012.
Elsässer and Weller have carried out extensive research on the elementary processes on the sub-nanoscale, including time-resolved ultrafast movement of atoms and charges in crystals and the precise creation of functionalized nanoparticle material complexes and their applications. Examples include the development of novel photovoltaic and fuel cells, as well as "smart" contrast agents and drug delivery systems, which can be used in medicine for improved diagnostics and therapy.
Thomas Elsässer is a director at the Max Born Institute in Berlin and a professor for experimental physics at Humboldt University. His research has covered a broad range of ultrafast science, addressing fundamental processes in solids, liquids, and (bio)molecular systems. He has published some 390 scientific papers and holds six patents.
Horst Weller is Professor for Physical Chemistry at the University of Hamburg. He is also Scientific Director of the Center of Applied Nanotechnology, an enterprise which was founded by a consortium of industry and public organizations. He is a pioneer in the field of nanochemistry since the early eighties and his research covers a wide range of topics from basic research to applications resulting in more than 300 publications and several patents.
The Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics recognizes researchers who have made an outstanding and innovative contribution to the fields of applied physics. It has been awarded annually since 1998 by the Editors-in-Chief of the Springer journals Applied Physics A - Materials Science & Processing and Applied Physics B - Lasers and Optics.